Hurst Teaches Theory By Example

Published: October 4, 1999 12:00 AM

In the 30 years that Charles Hurst has been teaching a course in classical social theory, one thing has never changed.

Charles Hurst

"The students always want to know what good a theory is," Hurst says. "First, they assume a theory is nothing more than arm-chair speculation. They don't define it as a meaningful explanation or model. And second, they think that it's something that they only have to memorize and that it has no application in a practical way."

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To combat this tendency and, adds Hurst with a smile, simply to keep his students awake, he has always tried to demonstrate the applicability of theory to problems or issues with which students are familiar.

That is the genesis of Hurst's new book, Living Theory (Allyn and Bacon, 2000), in which he applies the thinking of four classical theorists to issues of separation and disunity in the United States.

What, for instance, would Emile Durkheim say about the prevalence of cosmetic surgery today in light of his distinction between the sacred and the profane? Or how do Karl Marx's theories on capitalism relate to the multimillion dollar salaries paid to professional athletes or movie stars? Or how can Max Weber and Georg Simmel help us understand spatial arrangements in cities, i.e., why some groups are clustered into segregated areas while others retreat behind the walls of gated communities?

How can these theorists help us confront issues of disillusionment with government, self-interest versus community interests, and the growing economic gaps between the rich and the poor?

"Obviously these four classical theorists have been interpreted and reinterpreted and their theories have been updated over time," says Hurst. "Yet, I continue to believe that classical theories in their original forms can still teach us about modern life and modern problems." Hurst's students can undoubtedly relate to the issues that arise when a variety of questions about cosmetic surgery are raised.

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But he wants them to see those same questions from Durkheim's point of view to show that the theories still have relevance.

"Durkheim made a distinction between the sacred and the profane," explains Hurst, who is currently completing a new edition of his book, Social Inequality: Forms, Causes, and Consequences. "From Durkheim's point of view, the body is considered profane while the mind is sacred. He would argue, I believe, that in modern society the body has become sacred almost to the point of becoming an icon. The question becomes how I can perfect this icon cosmetically.

"There is another interesting issue having to do with anorexia in which people describe their fasting and dieting as a journey to reach some sort of sacred plane.

Here, again, Durkheim's theories become real to students who are conversant with many of the issues of eating disorders in today's society." When Hurst turns to the question of capitalism and entertainment, he uses Marx's theories, citing the organizational stages through which Marx said capitalism passed.

"I believe there are parallels between the stages as proposed by Marx and the shifts that have occurred in the marketing of celebrities," says Hurst. "We have moved from actors working for a particular studio to the combination of independent studios with an array of forces that have helped to turn actors into celebrities."

Hurst acknowledges that the classical theories have limitations in analyzing contemporary problems. Still, he maintains that an appreciation for the practical value of theories is critical.

"Theories are road maps that allow us to travel through social reality and understand its terrain," Hurst writes in his book.

"Theories are not just for academics or scholars who want to publish in obscure journals to impress their colleagues. They are of use to the average person who wishes to understand why events happen, or trends occur, or people behave as they do."